Editing Introduction to a Self Managed Life: a 13 hour & 28 minute presentation by FUTO software (section)

=== The Benefits of Your Own PBX; Revisited ===

In all seriousness, one of the benefits of hosting our own PBX is that we '''DON’T''' pay by the user. We '''DON’T''' pay by the feature. All we pay for is SIP trunking—any features &amp; functionality are added by '''US''', to '''OUR''' PBX, that we control.

We don’t need them to make it any nicer. If they did, you couldn’t afford it.

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<blockquote>'''HINT:''' Avoid the fancy, infinite-scrolly websites like UnitelPhone.com. Instead, go for the classic UnitelCustomer.com. If it looks like it’s from 1997, you’re in the right place! It’s straightforward and gets the job done.
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Having your own PBX means no more paying per user. You pay based on trunk usage, not the number of users. Some providers nickel and dime you on the number of extensions you have, visual voicemail, call recording, etc. With SIP trunking, they have no idea what is going on, so they can’t bill you by-the-extension or by-the-feature. It’s like a VPN for your calls—they don’t know how many extensions you have or if you’re recording calls. All they know is the call came in or went out. No extra charges for features like visual voicemail, lenny, call recording, or the voice of Allison Smith telling callers to go fuck themselves; which is the reason I set this up to begin with 14 years ago. :D

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==== 3.1 Register for a Unitel Account ====

* Open a web browser and navigate to: [https://signup.unitelgroup.com/sip-trunking-plans https://signup.unitelgroup.com/sip-trunking-plans]
* Create an account with the nice SIP trunking people

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==== 3.2 Set Up an Endpoint (This is Where Inbound Calls Get Sent To) ====

Endpoints are where your call is sent when a call comes in on a number you have in Unitel. When you create a phone number in Unitel, it will ask where you want to send calls that come into that number. We’re going to set up the endpoint first so when we create a number, we’ll already have an endpoint to send it to.

'''Navigate to the “Endpoints” Section'''

# From the main dashboard, go to '''“Settings”'''.
# Click on '''“Endpoints”'''.
# '''Create a New Endpoint'''
# Click on '''“Add Endpoint”'''.
#* Fill in the following details:
#** '''Endpoint Description''': Enter a name that describes the endpoint (e.g., closet pbx).
#** '''Endpoint Destination''': Insert the dynamic DNS entry (e.g.<code>louishomeserver.chickenkiller.com</code>) that you set up back in the FreeDNS Dynamic DNS section of this guide. This should resolve to your PBX’s external IP address. When a call comes in on a specific number, it is going to send the call to your PBX at this IP.
# Click '''“Add Endpoint”''' to complete the setup.

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==== 3.3 Get &amp; Configure Phone Numbers ====

# '''Navigate to the “Numbers” Section'''
#* From the main dashboard, after clicking on '''“Numbers”''', click on '''“Add Number”'''.
#* Buy a number.
# '''Assign the Purchased Number to the Endpoint'''
#* After purchasing, go to '''“Manage Numbers”'''.
#* Find the purchased number and click the dropdown under '''“Actions”''' and click '''“Number Mode”'''.
#* Select '''“Forward to Endpoint”''': Select the endpoint you created earlier (e.g., closet pbx).
#* Click '''Update'''.

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==== 3.4 Add a Trunk in Unitel ====

'''Purpose of an SIP trunk:'''

An SIP trunk is what attaches you to the world, similar to how your cable modem &amp; spectrum or verizon connects you to the rest of the internet. A '''trunk''' is a connection between your phone system (PBX) and the external phone network. It allows your system to make and receive calls to/from the outside world. Setting up a trunk in Unitel is necessary.

The purpose of the trunk is to provide a pathway for your PBX to route calls to and from the public telephone network. Without a properly configured trunk, your system won’t be able to communicate with external phone numbers. Which is what I have been doing for three weeks while writing this guide.

# '''Log in to the Unitel Admin Interface'''
#* Open your web browser and go to the Unitel admin interface.
#* Log in using your credentials.
# '''Step 2: Add a New Trunk'''
#* Navigate to Manage SIP Trunks.
#* Click on Add Trunk.
# '''Step 3: Configure Trunk Details'''
#* Trunk Description: Enter a descriptive name for your trunk (e.g., Main Trunk).
#* Trunk Type: Select '''General use/Conversational'''.
# Click Add Trunk to save the new trunk.
# Click Apply Config to activate the trunk.
# '''NOTE YOUR CREDENTIALS!'''
#* During the trunk setup, you will be provided with a username and password. Be sure to note your username &amp; password in a password manager of some sort as it will be needed later when configuring the trunk in your PBX system.

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